Summary in English

Central Finland Bird Club

The aims of the Central Finland Bird Club are to connect birdwatchers, to promote bird watching and common knowledge on birds as well as the protection of birds and their environment. The club collects, stores and publishes records of birds of the area. Red-throated Diver is the symbol of the club. The club is a member of BirdLife Finland. There are over 600 members in the club.

The map showing the area of Central Finland Bird Club can be viewed here. The area is about 250 km in length (S-N), and about 100 km wide (W-E). The biggest town is Jyväskylä (250 km N from Helsinki), situated in the middle of the area. Two thirds of Central Finland is covered by forests. The majority of the woodland is influenced by forestry. The largest old virgin forests are found in the National Parks of Pyhä-Häkki in Saarijärvi and Isojärvi in Kuhmoinen. One fifth of the area is peat land. The largest peat land bogs are situated in Pihtipudas and in Leivonmäki. One sixth of the area is covered by lakes, Päijänne, Keitele and Kolima being the largest ones. Cultivated fields cover one tenth of the area.
The majority of the bird species breeding in Central Finland are migratory, arriving mainly in April and May, and departing typically in August and September. The sedentary birds are mostly species of boreal forests. In addition, a good number of passing migrants are seen on their way to Arctic breeding grounds and back. The total number of bird species in the official Central Finland has just reached 300. About 155 of these are regular breeders and 15 species breed irregularly. About 30 of the remaining species can be regarded as regularly passing migrants. About 40 species are sedentary in the area. The checklist has a table describing the occurence of species.

Azure tit. Tero Linjama

Ural owl fledgling. Marjo Pihlaja

Which species of birds do foreign birdwatchers find most interesting? Forest owls are perhaps the most wanted group: Eagle Owl, Hawk Owl, Pygmy Owl, Ural Owl, Great Grey Owl and Tengmalm's Owl. Also other forest birds, such as Hazel Grouse, Black Grouse, Capercaillie, Black Woodpecker, Three-toed Woodpecker, Siberian Jay, Parrot Crossbill and Two-barred Crossbill are among the local attractions. Species with Eastern range are often on wish lists: Thrush Nightingale, the occasional Lanceolated Warbler, River Warbler, Blyth's Reed Warbler, Greenish Warbler, Red-breasted Flycatcher, Nutcracker, Scarlet Rosefinch and Rustic Bunting. Moreover, some Central Finnish breeding species are mainly seen in non-breeding plumage elsewhere, e.g., Red-throated Diver, Black-throated Diver and Brambling. Also such species as Smew, Willow Grouse, Spotted Crake, Corncrake, Crane, Green Sandpiper, Wood Sandpiper and Waxwing are for most birders something to tell home about. (Some of the species mentioned are rare, and the most can only be observed, if ever, at a certain time of year.) If you visit Central Finland and need help with planning a bird trip here, or you would like to have some company, you are welcome to contact the Central Finland Bird Club (e.g. Harri Högmander, harri.hogmander[at]jyu.fi) for tips.